Electric brake-release.



No. 680,3l7. Patented Aug. 13,1901. E. E. DARLING. ELECTRIC BRAKE RELEASE.

(Application filed Sept. 27, 1900.

2 Sheets- Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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No. 680,3!7. Patented Aug. I3, I90l.

E. E. DARLING.

ELECTRIC BRAKE RELEASE.

(Application filed Sept. 27, 1900.\ (No Model.) v 2 Sheets-8heet 2.

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EDWIN E. DARLING, OF ANACONDA, MONTANA.

ELECTRIC BRAKE-RELEASE.

sPEOIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,317, dated August 13, 1901.

Application filed September 27,1900. Serial No. 31,340. No model.)

To all whom it may concern. 1 3 U Be it known that I, EDWIN E. DARLING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Anaconda, in the county of Deer Lodge and State v of Montana, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Brake-Releases, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to brakes in general, and more particularly to, electrically-operated releasing mechanism therefor; and it has for its object to provide a mechanism so constructed and connected with a windlass motor that when the circuit of the energizing-dynamo is first completed themaximnm energy,

will be delivered to the releasing mechanism to operate it, the operation of such releasing mechanism effecting the breaking of a shuntcircuit around the motor, so that the motor is connected directly and in series with the energizing-coil of the release mechanism, so that the motor may be operated and the releasing mechanism held in operating position. When the energizing-circuit is broken, the brakes-are permitted to move to operative positions and the shunt is automaticall closed, ready for the next operation.

In the drawings forming, a portion of this, specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing awindlass, a motor operativelyconneoted with the Windlass, and a brake for the motor having electrically-operated releasing mechanism, all arranged and connected in accordan electric motor having" a shaft 6 mounted in bearings upon the base of the motor and in an upright 7, although it will of course be understood that the bearings may be arranged as desired, and upon this shaft is mounted a Winding-drum 8 or any other element which is to be actuated. On the shaft 6 is also mounted a brake-drum 4, the periphery of which is preferably channeled, as shown.

Beneath the brake-drum or in any other specific position in the plane of the drum there is disposed a block 10, and pivoted to thisblock are arcuate brake-shoes 11 and 12, having cars at their lower ends, which are disposed at opposite sides of the block, through the medium of which connection with the block is directly made. The upper ends of the brake-shoes extend above the brakedrum, and in them are formed alining perforations 13 andla, with which is engaged a rod or bolt 15, having headed ends, as shown, and upon the rod or bolt and between the heads thereof and the outer faces of the brake shoes are disposed helical springs 10 and 17, which hold the shoes yieldably in contact with the brake-drum. The outer faces of the brake-shoes are recessed to form seats 18 and 19 for the ends of the springs to hold them against lateral displacement. The upper ends of the brake-shoes are bifurcated, as illustrated, and in these bifurcations are disposed friction-rolls 20 and 21, which project inwardly beyond the inner faces of the upper ends of the shoes above the drum for engagement by a wedge 22, which when forced between said rollers acts to separate the upper portions and contacting portions of the shoes by moving them upon their pivotal connections with the block 10. 'When the wedge is withdrawn, the helical springs act to move the shoes again into contact with the brake-drum.

The wedge is disposed for upward movement between the friction-rollers, and to secure this movement of the wedge it is mounted upon a lever 24, one end of which is pivoted to the upper end of the upright 7, while the opposite end of the lever has connecting-rods 25 and 26 pivoted at opposite sides thereof and the lower ends of which are pivoted to a log 27 upon the cross-head 28. The cross-head 28 is connected at its ends to the two cores 29 and 30 of two solenoids 31 and 32, which are suitably supported in vertical position, as shown, and which solenoids when energized draw their cores upwardly into them in the Well-known manner, thereby raising the cross-head to raise the end of the lever 24 and press the wedge between the frictionrollers of the brake-shoes. When the solenoids are deenergized, the cores are released and the weight of the cores and connected parts is such that the wedge is moved downwar'dly from between the rollers to a degree sufficient to permit of engagement of the brake-shoes with the brake-drum. Thus it will be seen that when the solenoids are energized the brake-shoes are moved to their releasing position and when the solenoids are deenergized the springs move the shoes to their operative positions, it being of course understood that much less energy is required to hold the brake-shoes in their releasing position than is required to move them to such position.

As much more energy is required to actuate the releasing mechanism than to hold it in released position, it is desirable that when the energizing-circuit is first closed the entire energy thereof or the maximum energy thereof be concentrated in the solenoids and that after the releasing mechanism has been operated a greater percentage of current shall be delivered to the motor for actuating it. For this purpose the solenoids are connected in series with the positive terminal of the dynamo or other source of energy 33, and the motor is connected in series with the solenoids between them and the negative terminal of the source of energy, while a shuntcircuit is formed around the motor and including a switch comprising spaced terminals 34 and 35 and a bridging-knife 36, which is pivoted for movement into and out of engagement with the terminals. When the knife is in engaging position, the shunt-circuit is closed and little, if any, current flows through the motor, and the resistance of the circuit being low there is a flow of current through the solenoids to energize them strongly and cause them to operate the brakes to release the drum. When the brakes have been released, the shuntcircuit must be broken, and for this purpose a connectingrod 37 is pivoted to the switch-knife and to the lever 24, so that when the lever has been moved to its upper limit it will have raised the knife from the terminals and broken the shunt-circuit. The motor being thus connected directly in series with the solenoids will be energized to rotate the Winding-drum or whatever other element may be connected therewith for operation thereby.

It will be understood that in practice various modifications of the specific construction shown may be made and that any suitable materials and proportions may be used for the various parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is 1. In a brake mechanism, the combination with an electric motor of brake mechanism therefor, electromechanical means for oper ating the brake mechanism to release the brake when the magnet of said mechanism is energized, a source of energy with which the motor and the brake-operating means are connected in series, a shunt around the motor between it and the magnet, a switch for opening and closing the shunt, and connections between the switch and the brake mecl1- anism for opening the switch when the magnet of said mechanism is energized to release the brake.

2. In a brake mechanism, the combination with an electric motor and a brake therefor, of electromechanical means for releasing the brakes when the magnet thereof is energized, said means and motor being connected in se ries with a source of electricity, a shunt around the motor between it and the magnet and means operable by movement of the releasing mechanism for breaking the shunt.

3. The combination with an electric motor and a brake-drum connected therewith, of brake-shoes pivotally mounted for engagement with the drum, said shoes having means for holding them in yieldable contact with the drum, a pivoted lever, means connected with the lever and operable thereby for moving the brake-shoes from the drum, solenoids having cores for movement thereinto when the solenoids are energized and connected with the lever for operating it, said solenoids and motor being connected in series with a source of electricity, a shunt around the motor between it and the solenoids, a controlling-switch for the shunt, and connections between the switch and the pivoted lever for opening the switch when the solenoids are energized.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

EDWIN E. DARLING.

\Vitnesses:

GEORGE I-I. CONNERS, GUST. RALPH. 

